SET DUSK

Part 12's

Arriving in the pine forest, Ida was greeted by her friends who were already looking forward to waiting for Ida's arrival.

"I couldn't sleep all night Da, afraid you wouldn't come back" Ros said.

"You must be tired, Da?" Maryam pushed a pot of water to Ida.

"Ah, thank you Yam," said Ida received the container that Maryam gave her, drinking it quickly.

"I have to pass this message to Mr. Zain first." Ida asked permission to meet Mr. Zain, when he saw the PMI coordinator coming from the river.

"Yes, you quickly say it. We are also waiting for news from outside, when we can get out of this forest," said Maryam.

"Assalamualaikum sir," said Ida when Mr. Zain was in front of him.

"Waalaikum salam, Alhamdulillah, you managed to return home safely," said Mr. Zain with a happy face.

"This is sir, the message I brought." Ida handed over the folds of paper she received yesterday.

"Aah, man,... Yes thank you. Have you eaten?"

"Already sir, I ate at the house mak tuo where I was staying."

"You have rest." Mr. Zain passed by carrying the paper that Ida handed over.

"Yesiaa. .... Tell me about your trip yesterday" Maryam pulled Ida's hand towards the other girls gathered.

Ida told her experience yesterday to the girls.

"Oh Allah, if I had been put at gunpoint like that, I would have fainted first" said Laila.

"That's not what you're assigned to Mr. Zain. Hahaha," said Maryam.

"Yes, Mr. Zain must have thought carefully about this kind of business," replied Laila.

Before long, Mr. Zain and Marwan called all the personnel who were in the pine forest.

"I have read the message that Ida brought earlier. Thankfully, the conditions outside are safe. But we still have to be careful. So we're gonna get out of here after Ashar" said Mr. Zain.

Expressions of gratitude sounded from the line. They felt relieved, finally able to get out of the forest.

That afternoon, they walked out of the forest. Unlike the previous afternoon, that afternoon the sky was cloudy. The orange glow of the sun covered in cloud sheets made long golden streaks of light in the sky. They walked out of the forest.

Emi who was in Gendongan Rashid did not stop chattering.

"Later outside, Emi can meet Emi's brother?" ask the little girl plain.

"We will see if Emi's brother is there" Rasyid said in a soft voice.

"Ashik, Emi can return home," said the girl with excitement.

Ida noticed Rashid's shady eyes looked wet.

"You crying?" asked Ida, venturing out to open a conversation with the young man.

Rashid gasped, looking at the woman beside him. He blinked his eyes trying to remove the tears that had hung in his eyes.

"I was just sad to hear Emi's hope," she replied briefly.

Ida looked down again, understanding what Emi was feeling. He was also a child of war victims, his parents died due to the Dutch attack. He understood what it was like to wait for his parents to return home, but what he was waiting for never came.

Arriving at the edge of the forest, Mr. Zain ordered them to walk apart so as not to be conspicuous if there were spies watching.

A week in the woods, makes them feel in confinement. Inexhaustibly they expressed gratitude when they were at mak tuo's house. Mak tuo prepared a large amount of cuisine to welcome his guests that afternoon.

In the evening, the pedati Iniak Aro returns to the village to pick up Ida and her entourage. Only the PMI volunteer group and the army continued their journey to the Repulik Army headquarters in Lubuk Begalung. Meanwhile, Mr. Saidah, the general kitchen officer and Emi and the Marwan group remained in the village. They did not bring the little girl with them because it was not clear how their condition in the new place would be.

"Take care of yourself, son, I will miss you" said Saidah when she released them.

"Yes Ma'am, thank you so much for helping us" Maryam replied while hugging Saidah's mother.

"See you later Tech." Emi hugged Ida.

"Yes sweet girl, see you soon, yes" Ida replied while hugging Emi.

Arriving at Lubuk Begalung, Ida and her friends greeted those who were already at the headquarters.

-----°°°°°°-----

Two months already Ida and her comrades were at the Army headquarters. They have officially become PMI officers, equipped with various knowledge about treatment and caring for victims.

Assault for the sake of the attack that occurred, making the number of victims who fell, both injured, and those who died, making PMI officers busy. No exception Ida. However, Rashid still continues to meet Ida, although the girl is not too heedful of her presence because she is busy taking care of victims and occasionally becomes a courier to deliver messages from one post to another.

"For your health too Da, do not be too busy taking care of people, you forget your health" said Rashid one time.

"Yes, thank you for reminding me," he gave a quick glance and continued his work of wrapping bandages at the feet of one of the wounded soldiers.

Although Ida was not too visible to ignore his presence, for Rashid could see Ida not avoiding him as it used to be enough. If he is lucky enough, sometimes he can see two dimples Ida when smiling in response to what he said.

"Da, aren't you tired from the morning of taking care of a wounded soldier like this?" ask Rashid on another occasion.

"If I'm the one who's hurt, you'll take care of me too, won't you, Da" seduced Rashid.

"You try not to get hurt."

"You don't want to take care of me, do you?"

"Don't want to take care of you, I don't want to see you hurt" said Ida lirih.

"Thank you, Da. I will try not to get hurt" Rashid said with a smile on his face.

-----°°°°°°------

One morning, while Ida was still busy taking care of the injured, Maryam came to her with a pias face.

" Ida, you're here for a second." Maryam pulled Ida's hand while dragging the girl.

"Why Yam?" there's still one more person I haven't put a bandage on, wait a minute." Ida tried to hold back Maryam's hand.

"You just leave it for a minute, this is more important," the girl said riled.

" Hey, what's this Yam?" ask Ida to be astonished.

"Later see for yourself!" Mary's voice began to tremble.

Ida was curious and confused to see the behavior of her best friend. Once at the place where the deceased was buried, Ida was increasingly confused. Until Maryam finally pulled Ida to the end of the field. Opening the covering cloth of one of the bodies, immediately Ida's blood was drawn out of her body. Her body was limp, Maryam swiftly held back so that Ida did not fall.

"Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raji'un" he murmured.

He never expected to see a shady face that always shared the story with him all this time, will be stretched stiff in front of him. Rashid was shot when the Dutch attacked the post he was guarding. Ida did not expect, Rashid's visit two days ago was the last day to see the shady-looking man with a smile full of warmth. The smile was still on that face, but his eyes were already closed. His body was no longer soul.

"Why did you leave when I got used to your presence. You shouldn't have to try to be there for me if you're going to leave this fast" Ida muttered with trembling lips.

Ida could not afford to linger long staring at the body of the man who had occupied the space in her heart. He passed from that place, his chest tight.

A thousand if he began to fill his mind. If Rashid had met him the other day he took the time to respond to the man telling him about his experiences standing guard in the post. If he also, had time to say a prayer for the safety of the man when he could still smile. Ida realized, there was no point in her wondering. The one who goes will still go as hard as he prevents.

Ida understood, with such conditions at that time, he should be ready at any time to be abandoned by people he knew. But not this time, as if feeling Rashid would always be there, came to see him. Bercertia anything he experienced during not being near Ida. It seems like he cannot accept reality.

"Yes!!" Maryam intercepts Ida.

"I want to continue to take care of the injured Yam," he said.

"If you want to cry, don't hold back."

"There is nothing to cry about Yam, I cry that he will not come back to life" Ida said in a trembling voice.

"Rasyid will be buried this afternoon, you took the time to deliver yes" said Maryam sobbing.

Ida simply replied with a nod. And passed from that place. Maryam notices the departure of her best friend, trying to understand what Ida feels. He understands that Ida is not a person who is able to express his emotions. He let his best friend treat his wounds in his own way.

In the afternoon, the bodies of the dead soldiers were buried. Ida simply stared at the nano as Rashid's body was lowered into a burrow and slowly disappeared covered in red earth.

"You who are steadfast, Da" entertained Amir beside Ida.

Not a word was said from Ida's lips. His eyes warmed, the tears that he had been holding back finally shed as well. The afternoon air was so hot, making the tightness that Ida felt increasingly become. He did not want to stay at the funeral. The place reminded him of the pain of losing his amak and brother a few years ago.

Mary was still sobbing beside Rashid's tomb. Whispering a prayer for his friend, then passed after Ida who had first left the tomb.

--------°°°°-----------

In mid-April, Ida and Maryam were transferred to a post in Sicincin. In addition to serving as a PMI officer, Ida also doubles as a general kitchen officer and messenger.

Ros, Zubaedar, Laila and Siti remain in the Begalung Shore. Once again Ida felt a loss. The girls, who for a few months shared the joys and sorrows of his new family.

Like the post elsewhere, this time the post was in a surau located in the middle of the rice field area.

Surau building with a height of fifteen meters, with thirty pillars standing firmly and a three-story zinc roof shaped pyramid makes the surau appear to rise majestically in the middle of the rice fields.

In the surau yard there are two large ponds with water flowing from the ditch that irrigates the rice fields. The atmosphere of the surau is quite calm with the splashing sound of water makes Ida a little forget all her sadness in recent months.

That afternoon, the sun was very hot. Ida who from morning in the kitchen takes care of the rations that will be distributed to the soldiers, resting herself sitting in the courtyard of Surau. Observing the rice fields that have been harvested. In some rice fields, the remaining crop straw that farmers burn is still reflecting thin smoke.

The sound of water flowing from the trench into the pool plus gentle breeze blowing the smell of burnt straw made Ida sleepy. He leaned his head against the wall of the surau, enjoying a little peace that he rarely felt.

"Have you done cooking?" greet a voice.

Ida jumped up, watching a man greeting her. He frowned in wonder because the face felt foreign.

"Have you, Master of which union?" search Ida.

"Ah I'm just a resident around here, it's been taking care of the seeds, so stop by for a while," he said.

"Oh, well. ... I went inside first huh." Ida retreats.

His feelings are not calm. As she was about to enter the lake, Ida noticed the man taking out a cigarette, burning and smoking it. Ida noticed the cigarette that was being smoked by the man, not the type of cigars that are usually indigenous suction. Ida's suspicion arises, it is impossible for residents around can have similar cigarettes.

Half in haste, Ida went into the surau. Take all the important documents he will send.